Ming Yongle Blue‑and‑White Gourd‑Shaped Moon Flask with Ribbon Handles and Interlocking Peony Scrolls

拍品描述

Dimensions：H.28.5cm,W.20cm (11.22×7.87 Inches),15th Century Condition & Provenance：This moon flask is fully intact without cracks or breaks,there is minor age‑related wear at mouth rim,the junction between ribbon handles and body retains original firing marks.Most glaze surface stays in nice condition,spotted with few antique glaze pinholes and faint soil discoloration.Iron rust specks from imported smalt cobalt sink slightly under glaze.The unglazed rectangular foot shows solid porcelain clay,original hand‑trimming marks and natural aged patina,no restoration or touch‑ups at all.This piece comes from a private Los Angeles,California collection,it was acquired from a European antique dealer back in the 1970s,passed down within one family and kept in private storage,never offered at public auction. Description：This fine 15th‑century Ming Yongle porcelain moon flask belongs to iconic imperial porcelain of Yong‑Xuan period.It features small straight mouth,gourd‑form neck flanked by a pair of symmetric ribbon handles,each handle tip bears flower motif inside diamond cartouche.The main body is flattened moon‑shape,resting on rectangular foot ring,the whole silhouette is stately and well‑proportioned.The gourd neck is divided into several decorative bands including key fret,scrollwork and dot borders with neat layered layout.Both large flat sides of the vessel feature big open cartouches painted with lavish interlocking peony scrolls,large lush peony blossoms with layered petals twist among winding stems,leaves turn upward and downward,painted with bold free‑flowing brushwork with balanced dense‑sparse composition,outer cartouche border is finely drawn scrolling foliage.It uses famous early Ming imported smalt cobalt pigment,delivering rich vivid deep‑blue tone,iron‑rich pigment creates characteristic sunken speckles across glaze.The glaze body is thick and lustrous with soft bluish‑white antique glow.Rectangular foot ring exposes firm fine‑grained porcelain clay,we can see primitive hand‑chipping marks covered by accumulated old patina and soil stain,keeping original collected condition.Yongle moon flasks of this type are quite rare,they required complicated firing techniques and master‑level painting skill.This is a significant heavy‑weight early Ming blue‑and‑white survivor with tremendous aesthetic and academic research value.

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